XC IN REVIEW Oakland Section

XC SEASON IN REVIEW - OAKLAND SECTION

Skyline junior Andy Ixtabalan Argueta won the Oakland Section boys individual title, led his team to the section title, and went on to run a huge PR at the State Meet. (Deanna Turner photo)

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Skyline dominated the section championships, with individual winners Andy Ixtabalan Argueta, a junior, and Silvia Kambouridis, a senior, each leading their team to the Oakland Section title. It was the third consecutive OS title for the Skyline boys. In the girls competition, Skyline's win snapped a four-season winning streak by Oakland Tech.

BOYS SECTION BREAKDOWN

Ixtabalan Argueta won by more than a minute over Oakland Tech sophomore Alexi Leduc, running the 5K MLK Shoreline course in 15:59.77. Skyline, coached by Sean Kohles, went 1-3-6-7-8 overall and 1-3-5-6-7 for 22 points, to beat runner-up Oakland Tech by 23 points. Ixtabalan Argueta's time ranks No. 2 on the MLK Shoreline course behind the 2019 record of 15:57 set by Skyline's William Boyd. 

Also scoring for Skyline were junior Aman Bereket (17:07.56), senior Durrell Freeman (17:44.35), senior Leo Mates-Muchin (17:46.99), and junior Ronan Cavanaugh (18:01.03). 

GIRLS SECTION BREAKDOWN

Kambouridis (pictured) was a 10.31-second winner over runner-up Josie Goodson, a senior from Oakland Tech, running the MLK Shoreline 5K course in 19:39.35, a 5K PR for her. Goodson's 19:49.86 was also a 5K PR.

For as close as the individual race was, the team race was even closer, with Skyline snapping that long section winning streak of Oakland Tech's by one point, 31-32. 

Freshman Kaitlyn Forde placed fourth among scoring runners as the No. 2 for Skyline (21:04.37), followed by Jessica Vogel in sixth (21:29.82), sophomore Helena Rudensky in ninth (22:27.66), and sophomore Charlotte Seven in 11th (23:22.03). 

For Oakland Tech behind Goodson, junior Nina Fitzgerald Boes ran No. 2 and fifth among scorers (21:13.42), senior Caitlin Lee placed seventh (21:45.05), sophomore Lily Seiberlich was eighth (22:19.29), and senior Songxi He was 10th (22:32.38). 

BOYS STATE MEET REVIEW

At the State Meet, Ixtabalan Argueta was 52nd overall in the Division III race, 35th among scoring runners, cruising the 5K Woodward Park course in Fresno in 16:14.60, a 124.90-second improvement for him from the 2019 State Meet when he was a freshman. (CIF-State did not conduct a State Meet in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.)

Bereket (pictured) was next across the line in 112th among scorers (17:26.50). Also scoring for Skyline at State were Freeman (144th, 18:01.00), Cavanaugh (145th, 18:01.60), and Mates-Muchin (159th, 18:33.80).

GIRLS STATE MEET REVIEW

Kambouridis, in her third trip to the State Meet, placed 82nd among scoring runners in the Division III championship, running the 5K Woodward Park course in Fresno in 20:17.50, a huge course PR for her. Also scoring for Skyline were Forde (135th, 21:57.90), Vogel (150th, 22:38.10), sophomore Karina Larrieta Ceron (163rd, 23:55.30), and sophomore Zara Ahsan (169th, 25:01.50). 

Because the OS is only allotted one team qualifier into the State Meet, Goodson (pictured) had to qualify as an individual to earn a third trip to the post-Thanksgiving championship. She placed 150th in the Division II race, running the Woodward Park course in 21:01.50. 

Castlemont junior Roselin Saavedra-Silva, third at the OS final (20:37.78), placed 132nd in the Division IV race, running the Woodward Park course in 21:12.70. 

Two individuals qualified to compete in the Division V race at State: Abigayle Habte, a freshman at American Indian (AIMS College Prep), placed 112th (21:54.10), and Trisha Ho, a sophomore from Oakland Charter, placed 113th (22:03.30).